Tyler Crissman below notes this editorial from the Argus Leader. A snippet:
We have too many important South Dakota issues to spend time on a resolution backing Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. But that's the subject of a resolution sponsored by Republican Sen. Lee Schoenbeck of Watertown and co-sponsored by 24 other state senators.
Confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominees is up to the U.S Senate - and the U.S. Senate is working on that process right now.
I would point out a few facts. Each of our two U.S. Senators represents the whole state of South Dakota, as does the state legislature. The latter has every right to be interested in national questions. Indeed, until the 17th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1913, state legislatures elected U.S. Senators. I happen to think that the 17th amendment was a mistake, but I supposed that about as settled as settled law can be. I am sure the legislature has many important things to do, but berhaps parochialism ought not to be an ideal in state politics.
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